diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/qdel.dm b/code/__DEFINES/qdel.dm
index 8714f555274..d6a08b3174f 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/qdel.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/qdel.dm
@@ -24,9 +24,17 @@
 #define QDEL_HINT_IFFAIL_FINDREFERENCE 6
 #endif
 
-#define GC_QUEUE_CHECK 1
-#define GC_QUEUE_HARDDELETE 2
-#define GC_QUEUE_COUNT 2 //increase this when adding more steps.
+// Defines for the ssgarbage queues
+#define GC_QUEUE_FILTER 1 //! short queue to filter out quick gc successes so they don't hang around in the main queue for 5 minutes
+#define GC_QUEUE_CHECK 2 //! main queue that waits 5 minutes because thats the longest byond can hold a reference to our shit.
+#define GC_QUEUE_HARDDELETE 3 //! short queue for things that hard delete instead of going thru the gc subsystem, this is purely so if they *can* softdelete, they will soft delete rather then wasting time with a hard delete.
+#define GC_QUEUE_COUNT 3 //! Number of queues, used for allocating the nested lists. Don't forget to increase this if you add a new queue stage
+
+// Defines for the time an item has to get its reference cleaned before it fails the queue and moves to the next.
+#define GC_FILTER_QUEUE 1 SECONDS
+#define GC_CHECK_QUEUE 5 MINUTES
+#define GC_DEL_QUEUE 10 SECONDS
+
 
 #define QDEL_ITEM_ADMINS_WARNED (1<<0) //! Set when admins are told about lag causing qdels in this type.
 #define QDEL_ITEM_SUSPENDED_FOR_LAG (1<<1) //! Set when a type can no longer be hard deleted on failure because of lag it causes while this happens.
@@ -35,10 +43,6 @@
 #define GC_QUEUED_FOR_QUEUING -1
 #define GC_CURRENTLY_BEING_QDELETED -2
 
-// Defines for the time left for an item to get its reference cleaned
-#define GC_FILTER_QUEUE 5 MINUTES
-#define GC_DEL_QUEUE 10 SECONDS
-
 #define QDELING(X) (X.gc_destroyed)
 #define QDELETED(X) (!X || QDELING(X))
 #define QDESTROYING(X) (!X || X.gc_destroyed == GC_CURRENTLY_BEING_QDELETED)
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/garbage.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/garbage.dm
index 7f7d301a1d1..b49256d2b11 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/garbage.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/garbage.dm
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(garbage)
 	runlevels = RUNLEVELS_DEFAULT | RUNLEVEL_LOBBY
 	init_order = INIT_ORDER_GARBAGE
 
-	var/list/collection_timeout = list(GC_FILTER_QUEUE, GC_DEL_QUEUE) // deciseconds to wait before moving something up in the queue to the next level
+	var/list/collection_timeout = list(GC_FILTER_QUEUE, GC_CHECK_QUEUE, GC_DEL_QUEUE) // deciseconds to wait before moving something up in the queue to the next level
 
 	//Stat tracking
 	var/delslasttick = 0 // number of del()'s we've done this tick
@@ -110,10 +110,13 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(garbage)
 
 /datum/controller/subsystem/garbage/fire()
 	//the fact that this resets its processing each fire (rather then resume where it left off) is intentional.
-	var/queue = GC_QUEUE_CHECK
+	var/queue = GC_QUEUE_FILTER
 
 	while (state == SS_RUNNING)
 		switch (queue)
+			if (GC_QUEUE_FILTER)
+				HandleQueue(GC_QUEUE_FILTER)
+				queue = GC_QUEUE_FILTER+1
 			if (GC_QUEUE_CHECK)
 				HandleQueue(GC_QUEUE_CHECK)
 				queue = GC_QUEUE_CHECK+1
@@ -135,8 +138,8 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(garbage)
 			pass_counts[i] = 0
 			fail_counts[i] = 0
 
-/datum/controller/subsystem/garbage/proc/HandleQueue(level = GC_QUEUE_CHECK)
-	if (level == GC_QUEUE_CHECK)
+/datum/controller/subsystem/garbage/proc/HandleQueue(level = GC_QUEUE_FILTER)
+	if (level == GC_QUEUE_FILTER)
 		delslasttick = 0
 		gcedlasttick = 0
 	var/cut_off_time = world.time - collection_timeout[level] //ignore entries newer then this
@@ -238,7 +241,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(garbage)
 		queue.Cut(1,count+1)
 		count = 0
 
-/datum/controller/subsystem/garbage/proc/Queue(datum/D, level = GC_QUEUE_CHECK)
+/datum/controller/subsystem/garbage/proc/Queue(datum/D, level = GC_QUEUE_FILTER)
 	if (isnull(D))
 		return
 	if (level > GC_QUEUE_COUNT)